Norfolk Southern Headquarters

Norfolk Southern, one of the nation’s premier transportation and logistics companies, challenged the interior design team to consolidate its business operations into a single headquarters that reinforces the company’s simple, yet powerful, workplace vision: “Don’t just work here, thrive here. Norfolk Southern’s new HQ achieves this goal through a building that emphasizes choice, collaboration, innovation and wellness. Home to over 3,000 members of the company’s operations, technology and corporate teams, the headquarters offers employees diverse workspace options and rich amenities while supporting Norfolk Southern’s vision, brand and desire to recruit and retain top talent.”

Design Challenge

“Norfolk Southern’s desire to consolidate their Atlanta and Norfolk locations into one vertical campus reimagines work. When its people thrive, so too does the entire company. Based on this overarching theme, the design brief called for a building that would strengthen employee interactions, communication, and collaboration and, in turn, increase the speed of innovation and decision-making. The building would also enhance the employee experience for employees previously siloed in two separate locations, appeal to all generations, and position the company for the future.

Five specific criteria would lead the design:

1. Flexibility: Employees should have dedicated personal space but not be tied to their desks.
2. Collaboration: Beyond places for group meetings and teamwork, the building needed areas where people from different departments could serendipitously connect and engage.
3. Technology and innovation: Data and technology have transformed Norfolk Southern into a modern transportation and logistics firm. The new HQ must reflect this vision with campus-wide technology that supports problem-solving, freedom, and collaboration.
4. Wellness: The new HQ should be a place where people want to come to work, with healthy and supportive environments and amenities and LEED certification.
5. Branding: Norfolk Southern’s brand and purpose should be infused throughout the space in a way that honors the company’s heritage while looking ahead.

The headquarters includes 10-story and 17-story office towers connected by a five-story podium. Designed with an emphasis on choice, collaboration, innovation, and wellness, the building offers employees diverse workspace options and rich amenities.”